TRANSFORMATION IS defined as a dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character. Human transformation is an internal shift that brings one in alignment with their highest potential.
Helping women transform and reach their full potential is the work of the rehabilitative program at Miriam House.
According to Miriam House Director Tasha Hill, the Christ-centered, residential, faith-based rehabilitation program is based in Coffee County and serves women across the country.
“We bring in women who struggle with life-controlling issues–not only addiction but abuse and broken situations. We allow anyone truly ready for a second chance to come into our program,” she said.
Hill said the program takes anywhere from 12 to 18 months to complete, depending on the student. While in the program, students participate in various activities that include Biblical education, spiritual counseling, work projects, ministry outreach to the local community, and a number of community service projects.
“The whole process is beautiful,” said Hill. “We have eight students at a time due to limited space. It’s a very small facility, but we are getting serious about raising funds to either purchase or build our facility to serve more women and children. At Miriam House, we see women transform from death to life. Their countenance even begins to change from week to week. We focus on wholesomeness and being whole. We see transformation by introducing them to Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit do his work. We also focus on discipleship and coupling cognitive behavior therapy with the word of God.”
She added that during students’ time in the program, they are introduced to the benefits of incorporating spiritual disciplines into their daily life, such as prayer, Bible reading and meditation, fellowship, church attendance, worship, and service to their family and community.
Hill has had her own battles with addiction, but she said she has conquered through her faith, which has prepared her for this very role.
“It’s given me purpose in my life,” she said. “Because I struggled with addiction. I was 14 years old when I started doing drugs, and I was 34 when I came out with the Lord rescuing me. I had lost so much time that I thought I’d never be able to get that back. I made so many mistakes and hurt so many people. But God has brought purpose out of that for me. God used all of those broken things–the hurt and the mistakes–as experience, so I can help these women.”
Hill said the vision of Miriam House is to see women freed from the bondage of addiction and any life-controlling issues. Instead of identifying as a woman in recovery, they want each student to identify not only as recovered but as a completely transformed woman.
“They begin to transform, and we’ve seen many women who have graduated from the program,” she explained. “They are doing great things like teaching, owning their first home, getting their children back, becoming upstanding members of society, and even going into ministry school. We have seen some beautiful things come out of Miriam House. The program may not be for everybody because it’s structured, and anything worth accomplishing is difficult. We have seen some beautiful restoration in the lives of the women who have graduated from Miriam House.” GN
